The Rose and the Candle
by SlimWriter
Summary: Summer Rose, already a mother of two, crosses paths with a young boy during a robbery. With the boy seemingly having no family of his own, Summer makes a choice that might not be very welcomed back home.
1. Chapter 1

The Rose and the Candle

Summer Rose dragged her tired and fatigued figure down the streets of Vale. She had recently returned from another one of Ozpin's "special missions". She still didn't know what these missions were really about. Ozpin was cryptic enough as it was, but he always seemed to dodge Summer's questions about what the missions were supposed to accomplish. He never provided a good enough answer for Summer's liking, but he always mentioned some mysterious enemy. Summer knew that Ozpin was serious about whoever this mysterious enemy was, but their identity was never shared. Summer was practically convinced that Ozpin didn't trust her with that kind of information. _If Qrow is allowed to know, then why am I kept in the dark?_ A question that constantly ran through Summer's head these days.

It was almost midnight as she continued to make her way through the nearly empty streets of Vale. A few people, night owls mostly, were still around and going about their business. Hardly any cars were around, but she could make the headlights of at least one coming towards here. She had to get to the docks before the night boat to Patch departed. Taiyang would give her nothing but grief if she missed it again. She still had about an hour or so left before it left, but Summer liked getting to her destination with plenty of time to spare, especially with the amount of distance still left to go. She just hoped nothing interrupted her plans.

"Hey! Get back here!" yelled the owner of a sweets shop nearby. _Just once I'd like the universe to listen to me_ , Summer thought. She had just come back from a mission that involved fighting a large number of Grimm in the middle of Forever Fall. Despite her duties as a Huntress, she just was not in the mood for another disturbance. As she neared the cause of the disturbance, she made out a small figure running away from the shop and into the nearby alley across the street. The only car on the road swerved and nearly crashed trying to avoid the reckless thief.

 _Time to go to work. Again_ , she thought as she placed her hand on her weapon beneath her white cloak and hood and prepared to use her Semblance to catch up. Her hand was placed on her weapon so it didn't leave her person while she used her speed to catch up with the thief. She launched herself forward and crossed the street into the alley with incredible speed as the few bystanders stared in surprise. As she slowed down, Summer caught sight of the thief attempting to quickly climb a ladder onto a nearby rooftop. In the dark she could barely make out much, but from studying the figure, it looked like it could have been a young boy, about Yang's age. That changed her opinion of the situation in a heartbeat. _Not one of these cases. I hate these cases._

Summer reached the ladder as soon as the thief had climbed up to the top and had begun running across the roof. Once again using her Semblance, Summer leaped up and landed on the edge of the roof. As she stood up, she saw that the boy had reached the opposite end of the rooftop. He had tied his bag of stolen goodies around his right wrist and had his hands held out as if he was planning to fall backwards off the roof. From this position, despite the distance, Summer could make out more of his features. Orange hair, green eyes, a pale white complexion. His apparel consisted of a white shirt, black pants supported by brown suspenders, white socks, and black shoes. Summer guessed that he was rather poor, given the rather dirty conditions of his choice of clothes.

"Can you save me, heroine?" the young boy asked in a mocking tone.

"Look, I don't have time for games. I need you to step away from the ledge and come with me so that we can resolve this situation without anyone getting hurt."

A smirk spread on the young boy's face. "You had your chance." With that he slowly began backing up to fall down to the alleyway below.

Summer instinctively used her Semblance to cross the gap between her and the boy, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling away from the drop below. They both collapsed onto the rooftop, the adrenaline slowly but surely draining out of their systems. Once she had recovered from the adrenaline rush, Summer stood up and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt. He looked away from her with a pout on his face, crossing his arms and legs as Summer held him in midair. Now it was Summer's turn to display a smirk on her face.

"Looks like I can save you, troublemaker." Her only response was a grunt of annoyance from her captive. "Now, how about you come with me, little one? You and I have business with a certain robbed shop owner." With that she grabbed the bag of treats still tied around his wrist, securing it to her belt, and carried him to the ladder back down to the alley.

When she finally brought the boy back to the shop owner, the police had arrived on scene and were questioning the old shop owner. Summer strode up to the men with the little thief in tow. The shop owner looked like he was ready to give the kid a good spanking for stealing from him.

"Excuse me, officers. I believe I caught your little cookie thief," she said as she handed the stolen sweets back to the shop keep. With the sweets returned, the shop keep went back into his store to seal them away to dispose of later.

One of the officers turned to Summer and looked down at the boy. Summer had set him down so he could walk, but still kept a tight grip on the back of shirt. She wasn't going to let him get away, not after his little stunt on the rooftop.

"Thanks, Huntress. We'll take care of the kid from here. Come on, you." The officer took the kid and guided him to one of the police cars. As the cop closed the door and began to make his way back to Summer, a thought struck her. _I wonder if that kid has any family. If he doesn't…_ Summer mentally sighed. _Taiyang's going to be livid when I break the news to him. It doesn't look like he has many places to go, though._

"We'll take him down to the station and figure out what to do with him there. There aren't many street rats like him roaming around, so finding out if he's living with anyone should be easy."

"Well…" Summer hesitated to offer her solution. She didn't know if she would introduce a third child into her already strange family. But then again, she didn't think him being in police custody was the best idea. "Actually, if he doesn't have anyone, send word to me. I think I have a good idea of where to take him."

The cop just gave Summer a confused look but nodded in reply. "I'll be sure to do that. Gotta let the chief know about it, though."

Summer gave her own nod in reply. With that the officer turned back to the car and got in and drove off, taking the young thieving boy with him. Summer stared down the road where the car went, certain that no matter how kind her gesture may be, she was going to regret it later. After pondering her choice for a few minutes, she reached into her pocket and grabbed her scroll. Going through her relatively small list of contacts she found the one she had been looking for. A few rings passed before a man finally answered.

"Hello?" he said with a tired and exhausted weight to his voice.

"Hi, honey," Summer responded with a perk in her voice.

"Summer! Oh thank the gods, you're alright. Where are you? Did you get on the boat? How soon are you coming home? Let me tell you, these girls are seriously going to be the end of me. Do you know what Ya-"

"Tai, dear, I'm cutting you off there. I'm just calling because I may be late."

Silence. Silence for what felt like a solid minute. "It's not about Ozpin is it?" came the cautious reply.

"No. It's something that happened in Vale. I'll tell you about it when I get home."

With that, she closed her scroll and began to make her way to the docks. Hopefully, she thought, she hadn't made a bad decision.

 _I wonder if Yang and Ruby would be okay with an adopted brother…_


	2. Chapter 2

The Rose and the Candle

Chapter 2: Proposition

Roman Torchwick had been a thief for a couple of years now, always being unusually careful with his robberies for someone his age. Of course, he always enjoyed showing off a bit if he was caught in the act, adding what he considered his distinct brand of flair, even risking his own life, to get away. Given all that he'd managed to pull off, Roman thought of himself as a rather successful thief at his age. And then the Huntress showed up.

At first, everything was going to plan, like all the times before. Yes, the shop keep noticed him before he managed to step out the door, but he knew the old man couldn't keep up with the much younger Torchwick. He knew someone had followed him, though, but he didn't expect a freaking Huntress of all people to be around when he pulled off this job. At first, when he stared back to look for any potential pursuers, the Huntress seemed irritated at having to respond to Roman's robbery of a store full of sweets (especially those cookies he had become addicted to). But once he faced off against her on the roof, with Roman planning to risk his life to get away once again, her demeanor seemed to have changed. Where once was an irritated woman, he saw someone who looked like she almost regretted having to catch him. Was it because Roman was still a boy? Was it because all he was trying to steal was a bunch of cookies?

These questions had been plaguing Roman's mind since he was placed in this interrogation room after last night's failed robbery. His first failed robbery. But Roman couldn't let any of that worry him. He was more worried about the police trying to dig up anything on him. Roman knew they wouldn't find anything, told them so when they informed him of their search. He didn't have any family to speak of, no one to go home to. He was a street rat, plain and simple. The same street rat that had been stealing for about two years after getting left in the middle of downtown Vale with no memory of who his parents were. And as far as Roman was concerned, whoever his parents were could rot in whatever hellish afterlife you believed in. Extreme thoughts for a child? Maybe, but Roman had already reached that point.

Roman's thoughts were interrupted when the door to the room opened. Out from the other side of the doorway came a young woman, different than the one Roman faced last night. Her hair was blonde and tied back into a bun; her complexion a pale white; thin ovular glasses were placed in front of her green eyes, very similar to Roman's; teal earrings hung from her ears, with a matching pendant attached to the collar of her long-sleeved, pleated top; a black pencil skirt and black-brown stockings covered the lower half of her body, with black boots covering her feet; she also wore a cape that was purple on the inside. _She must be another Huntress. Perfect. Why am I starting to constantly run into them?_ Roman thought.

"So. You must be the young thief Ms. Rose caught last night. One Roman Torchwick, according to the police were able to find."

"Yeah," Roman responded, "but you won't find anything else on me. Trust me."

The Huntress stared at Roman with a neutral expression. "Right. Well, since you don't seem to have anyone who can take care of you-"

"Just call me a street rat, if you'd like. You seem to be that kind of person," Roman interrupted. He thought he saw her eye twitch at the interruption. _Oh, I'm going to have fun with you._

"As I was saying," the Huntress began, with noticeable irritation, "because you don't seem to have anyone to act as your guardian, you are in a very delicate situation. Normally, the police would just turn you back over to whomever your appointed guardian would be. Seeing as how you don't have anyone in that capacity, the only other option would be to appoint you one ourselves. Though, I'm sure they could just leave you in one of the station's cells for awhile to work on that attitude of yours." Roman simply offered her a smirk as she continued, "Fortunately for you, there's someone here who has already taken an interest."

As the Huntress stepped aside, another figure came walking into the room. Roman's eyes went wide upon seeing who it was. None other than white-cloaked, black-and-red-haired Huntress that nabbed him the night before. She made eye contact with Roman as she entered, her eyes seeming to emote some kind of empathy. Or wait, was that compassion? No, pity? When it came to negative emotions, Roman could figure those out easily. He didn't have such an easy time with positive emotions, though.

The Huntress with the cape gently grabbed her counterpart's arm before whispering, "Are you sure you want to do this? Given your report, I don't know if you could handle this." The white-cloaked woman looked her friend in the eyes and replied, "Glynda, I have a little girl that just discovered her Semblance, which is bursting into flames if angered enough. What makes you think I couldn't handle this?" Glynda simply sighed in response. "Very well. It's your choice."

With that, the white-cloaked Huntress took a seat across from Roman, placing her clasped hands in the middle of the table. "Hello, again little one. Roman, correct?" No response. "My name is Summer Rose. And I have a proposition for you." Again, silence. "Tell me something, Roman. Is it true that you don't have any family?"

Finally, Roman responded. "If I did they wouldn't have left me in middle of downtown Vale for no reason. Doesn't sound like a family I would want to return to."

"Well, what if you had the chance to find a new family? One that wouldn't leave alone to fend for yourself?"

"Why? I've been doing just fine on my own!" Roman was starting to get annoyed with this conversation. He didn't need any family, he could get by on his own.

"Roman, you've been stealing for what appears to be a couple of years now. I'd hardly call that 'doing fine'. To be brutally honest with you here, if you don't take this offer up, then I can't guarantee what the police will do with you. They've never really had a case like this, and there's no protocol that they've received from the Council about what to do in these types of situations. If I were you I'd take the safe bet rather than risk yourself in police custody."

"In case you've forgotten about the rooftop already, I'm perfectly fine with risking myself."

Summer fixed him with a hard stare. Roman started to shrink a little from that stare. He may not have been impressed by the looks he had received from the caped Huntress, but the fierce stare coming from this previously young, almost naïve-looking woman was a bit unsettling. If he had to guess, Roman would say she had a lot of practice perfecting that stare.

"Listen to me, Roman. This is the best opportunity you're going to get right now. If we left it up to the authorities, they would, at the very least, place you in a cell for an indeterminate amount of time. They may end up keeping you there indefinitely. Once you reach the appropriate age, they might throw you to the courts to decide what next to do with you. You may end up in a cell in a prison, which I can assure you is nothing like the cells in this station. If you are thinking it's better to risk yourself by choosing that option, then you have no idea what you are trying to get yourself into. This is your best chance to drag yourself out of this destructive and ruinous hole and forge something worthwhile. I am giving you the opportunity to become part of a family that will look after you and ensure you never have to hungry again. One that can give you a roof over your head and plenty of amenities that you wouldn't have otherwise. If you were as smart as you think you are, then you wouldn't try to put this up for debate."

The cold tone was even throughout her whole speech, but Roman could notice the hints of sadness in her voice here and there. _Well, two things are clear: 1) She's not leaving here without me in tow. 2) Yes, she has had practice to perfect that stare and that stern tone._

Roman took a few seconds to really think about the situation. It was pretty obvious she was the one who wanted to take him into whatever family she had, and she seemed pretty confident about her abilities as a guardian (parental figure in this context, not Huntress, guardian of humanity). As much as Roman wanted to say no, there was something in him that was telling him to accept her offer.

 _I don't want to go. I've been doing fine on my own._

 _ **But what if she's right? What if the alternative is much worse than you're taking into account, than you're even considering?**_

 _I overheard what she told that other Huntress. It sounds like she's got her hands full already. A girl that can burst into flames if she gets angry enough? That doesn't sound like a very loving environment._

 _ **Do you want to be living in the filth and garbage of Vale's alleyways for the rest of your life? Always looking for that magic meal that can fill your stomach more than simply scrounging or stealing ever could? Always searching for shelter from the elements?**_

 _But what if they decide they don't want me anymore? I'd be right back where'd I started, so it wouldn't matter._

 _ **Remember what happened back at the rooftop. This woman showed concern for your wellbeing when you tried jumping off that roof and now she's offering you the chance to see just how caring she can be. How a proper family can be.**_

"Well?" Summer snapped Roman out of his thoughts. As much as Roman didn't want to do it, he caved.

"Fine. I'll go with you. Not that I'm going to be expecting much of a difference."

Summer's eyes glinted with humor at that response. "Oh, I think you'd be surprised," she said with a small smile on her face.

The caped Huntress from earlier exited the room as Summer got up from her seat. She mentioned for Roman to follow. _This is going to be fun…_


	3. Chapter 3

The Rose and the Candle

Chapter 3: Introductions

The walk through the woods was long and boring. Despite the exercise that comes with running away from the scene of a crime with hard-earned rewards in hand, Roman could feel his legs begging for a respite. Next to him, Summer Rose, his new "mother" as she had reminded him multiple times on the boat ride from Vale to Patch, strode casually, as if she had done this numerous times before. _She's a Huntress, so of course she has. That and she knows this path by memory._

Patch, an island off the coast of the continent of Sanus, considered part of Vale's sovereign territory. Roman had never visited the island himself before. He never had a reason to. But from what Summer described, it was a quiet place with a lot of nice people. Summer's family lived in a large, two-story cabin that was isolated from the rest of the people on the island. Roman didn't really enjoy the idea of being isolated from any place where he could continue to steal from people. Then again, Summer didn't let him out of her sight the whole trip, so why would she let her guard down while he lived with her?

Finally, their destination came into sight. Just as Summer had described, the house they had come upon was a two-story cabin made out of logs. A mailbox was positioned some distance down the front path. Off to the side, in what would normally be the backyard, was a shed, no doubt full of assorted tools and supplies. The door to the shed was open just a small bit, and it appeared as if someone was inside working on something. Roman and Summer continued following the dirt path up to the front door. Summer placed her hand on the doorknob before pausing and turning to Roman, a look of concern, almost worry, on her face. Roman's instincts immediately told him to be ready to run.

"Just so you know, the girls were a little excited when I told them the news (Yang more than Ruby), but my husband was…skeptical, let's say."

 _Nice hesitation, there. Making me feel real welcomed right now._

"And he was very vocal about it. Just, if he asks you to do something, do it. Okay?"

Roman's instincts were about ready to assume control of his body at this point. Summer had mentioned her husband while they were making their way here: he was a Hunstman like her, had taken a lengthy leave-of-absence to help take care of their daughters, and was serious about looking after his family.

 _This is going to be a wonderful introduction,_ Roman thought.

Summer turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She ushered Roman into the main room of the house. There was a couch and a few chairs arranged around a table in the middle of the room. Of to the side was a fireplace, not in use because it was in the middle of summer. On the opposite end of the room, to the right, was a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. On the end opposite of the front door was a doorway that led into what appeared to be a dining room. Roman didn't get enough time to survey the rest as Summer started calling out to the house's other occupants.

"Yang! Ruby! Are you two there?"

The two arrivals didn't have to wait much longer as two young girls came barreling down the stairs to greet their mother. They crashed into their mother, knocking all three down to the ground. All three laughed as they embraced each other on the floor. Roman just gave the three a quizzical look, seeing what they were doing as alien to him. His instincts told him to bolt out and leave this behind. As good as that idea sounded, he just stood there watching this exchange of family love he had never experienced.

After the exchange was over, Summer got up, set her daughters standing on the ground, and kneeled to meet them at eyelevel.

"Yang, Ruby, remember when I told you I found a brother for you two?" Both girls nodded in confirmation. "Well, why don't you say hello to him?" she said as she turned her head to Roman.

Both girls turned to look at Roman, whom they had not noticed during their rush down the stairs. They took some cautious steps towards him as they took in his still rather dirty appearance. As they did so, Roman also took in their appearances. The oldest had bright-gold, almost blonde, hair tied into pig-tails and lilac eyes. Her clothes made Roman think of a farmer's clothes with the way they appeared to have been made: a dullish light-brown top with the front and back seemingly kept together by strings along the sides; black pants went down to her knees; her shoes were brown with orange socks worn under them; an orange belt wrapped around her waist and a gold handkerchief hung around her neck. As for the youngest, Roman swore she was the spitting image of her mother, albeit in the form of a young child, younger than him. Her hair was black, but ended in red near the tips and her eyes were silver. Her outfit was closer to what you would normally see on the Vale mainland: a red vest with a white undershirt served as her top; a black miniskirt hung from underneath her vest; black shoes covered her feet; the most defining part of her outfit, though, was a little red cape and hood attached to her jacket's neck line.

After a few uncomfortable seconds of staring, the blonde smiled brightly, grabbed Roman's hand with a surprisingly strong grip, and started shaking it awkwardly.

"Hi, I'm Yang!" she said excitedly before breaking the handshake, bright smile still plastered on her face. She turned to her younger, red-clad sibling. "And this is Ruby!" In a whispered voice to Red she said, "Go on, Ruby. Say hi."

Red shrunk a little from being put in the center of attention. All she gave was a small, simple wave. Summer had mentioned her youngest as being rather shy. Since this would be her first exposure to Roman, she would be hesitant to interact initially. But there was only thought that was in Roman's head after watching her for a few seconds: _I don't know if she's trying to be, but this girl is just. Too. Cute! I cannot believe I'm thinking this, but she has to be the most adorable thing I have seen_.

Roman was snapped back into reality when Summer cleared her throat to get his attention. She apparently knew what was running through his head, since the look she gave him seemed to say _I know_.

"The girls have introduced themselves. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

Roman focused back on the girls. "My name's Roman. Roman Torchwick."

"That's a cool name!" came Yang's response. Ruby didn't say anything, but she seemed to like it too.

Suddenly, a door at the back of the house opened up. A man's voice called out from the dining area: "I'm back!" Almost as soon as the sound of the voice ended, the man it belonged to stepped out into the living room. This man had blond hair like Yang, but with blue eyes, not lilac. He had a blonde soul patch with a small stubble along his jawline. The tattoo on his right arm was similar to a heart in shape, but was more ornate. His outfit consisted of brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana tied around his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. On his right arm, he sported a metal spaulder, a leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove.

The newcomer looked around at the people gathered in the front room, until he laid eyes on Roman. Roman could tell this next encounter was going to be tense.

"Ruby. Yang. Go upstairs and into your rooms. I need to talk with your mother and our newcomer."

"Dad…can we stay please?" Yang pleadingly asked. Ruby shared her sister's sentiments, as she was giving her dad a pleading look. Roman thought he would die of continued exposure to her cuteness.

"No. You two need to head up to your rooms NOW."

"Yang, Ruby, listen to your father. Go upstairs. We'll call you back when we're ready, okay?"

Yang and Ruby reluctantly began making their upstairs, disheartened that they couldn't stick around.

Once they were gone, the man that was apparently the girls' father moved one of the chairs in front of the couch. After positioning it so it was facing the couch, he took a seat on the side closest to the stairs. Roman's instincts were practically screaming at him to get out of there, but he was already being moved by Summer to the chair. After Roman took his seat in the chair, Summer sat down next to her husband.

Summer's husband fixed Roman with a hard stare like the one Summer used on him back in the interrogation room. _Gods, these people love to drill holes into you with their eyes, don't they?_

"Well then, Roman, is it? Since my wife has been adamant about bringing you into this family, I just want to make a few things clear to make sure we're on the same page. First: our names are Taiyang and Summer, but since you're going to be part of this family, you'll refer to us as 'mom' and 'dad'."

A nod of confirmation from Roman was rather quick to come. He knew this part would be doled out first, as it would be the most basic. He didn't know what else would be asked of him, though.

"Second: Everyone in this house is expected to pitch in wherever necessary, especially given where we live. That's not too much to ask."

Roman gave another nod. Another basic thing to ask.

"Third: I know you were out on the streets and are accustomed to stealing everything you want, but – and I cannot stress this enough- you better keep those hands of yours close to you at all times. If you want something, tell us and we'll decide if it's worth getting at that moment. If we find out you stole something, we will make sure you regret it. I can guarantee that."

The threat in and of itself wasn't particularly intimidating, but it was the way Taiyang said it, the tone in his voice, let Roman know he was serious about this. Whatever they were planning to do in case Roman stole something while under their watch, Roman didn't think he wanted to find out.

"Fourth: I work hard to look after my girls. Summer works hard to look after them. If you're going to be part of this family, I want you to promise that you will do the same. This is the most important thing I want from you."

Roman did not see a way out of this. Was that last one a bit too much to thrust on a boy, even one like Roman? Maybe, but all other avenues had been closed. There was no way he was going to return to his previous life, not at this juncture. Besides, Roman had already taken a liking to the girls. Mostly the youngest one, but still. It was at this moment that Roman spoke, "I promise."

As much as he was starting to like this idea, however, a part of him still tried to hold onto the independence of his previous life. That same part of him was uncomfortable with how quickly Taiyang's terms were accepted.

 _You're placing yourself in a prison. We've never needed anyone before this, so why are you just giving in?_

 _ **Because we were never going to break out of that cycle, and we would have ended up paying for it eventually.**_

 _You're just giving up._

 _ **And you're refusing to think. You call this a prison, but if what Summer said before is correct, we'd rather be here than wherever they would have thrown us.**_

 _Well, what do you mean we would have "paid for it eventually"? Like some random woman would come up to us with a big plan and we would have ended up axed before it was all said and done?_

 _ **I don't know, but I'd rather not find out now that we're here.**_

Roman shook his head to end the conversation before it got out of hand. Taiyang stood up off the couch, with Summer following suit. Taiyang turned to Summer and said, "I'm going back out to the shed. There's still some things I need to organize in there."

Summer perked up as if she had an idea. "Hey, why don't you take Roman with you? Teach him how we do things, give you two some time to start bonding."

Both Roman and Tai gave her stares displaying their skepticism of that idea.

"You two are going to have to start doing things together and getting along eventually. This is a good place to start."

"I don't know, Summer…Are you sure about this?"

Summer looked her husband in the eyes. "Positive. I'll keep the girls entertained while you boys work."

Before anything else could be said, Summer was already at the top of the stairs and making her way to where Ruby and Yang were playing. The only sign she was there were the white rose petals that showed the path she had taken.

"Damn that Speed Semblance of hers!" Taiyang let out a sigh. "If Ruby gets that Semblance later in life, I'll have two headaches, one for each of them." Tai then turned to Roman, still seated in his chair. "Well, come on. I'll show you around."

Tai began making his way to the back door, with Roman in reluctant tow.

 _Welcome to your new life. You new family._

 _ **Hope it works out for you…**_


	4. Chapter 4

The Rose and the Candle

Chapter 4: Abrupt Change

When Roman was first inducted into his new family, he did not have very high hopes for his time there. Sure, Summer and her daughters may have been a bit enthusiastic about it, but Tai didn't seem to enjoy the idea one bit.

But, as the months started flying by, Roman felt as if he actually belonged in this crazy little family. He would join Yang in whatever kind of rough play she had in mind, would spend time with Ruby while Summer would tell her stories, and would lend an extra hand if Summer or Tai needed it. Tai himself was even warming up to Roman's presence, treating him a lot more as if he were actually his son than he did initially. Needless to say, Roman had grown happy and content with this new life.

The room he had been provided was small, yet rather nice. The bed sat right next to the window facing out over the shed. A small desk was placed next to the bed where Roman could work on anything requiring pen and paper. The dresser with his new sets of clothes was along the wall next to the door. Along the far wall, a shelf with the small collection of toys that he had acquired rested. Some had been given to him by Yang and Ruby, others were handpicked by Roman and acquired by Summer. Some of these toys were little figures of Grimm, others models of Atlesian soldiers, etc. But perhaps his favorites were of a more…cosmetic nature: a little bowler hat and a small cane. Often (frequently, actually) were the times when he would prance around the house, pretending to be a rich aristocrat like Jacques Schnee or another noble with a silver spoon up their butt. He got in trouble because of those antics at times, if Summer and/or Tai felt he took it too far, but it got a laugh out of them now and again.

But the one thing Roman really enjoyed was the absence of the rogue voice that called him back to his old life. He had successfully managed to suppress that voice, and hadn't had a back-and-forth argument going on in his head since after the first couple of months. He felt a peace. And he didn't want things to change, to interrupt or otherwise alter this life he had become accustomed to. But change things would.

It started out like every other morning thus far. Everyone was already up and moving, changed into their clothes for the day, and were currently gathered around the dining table enjoying the breakfast Tai had prepared. Yang and Ruby were messy eaters, with Summer continually having to clean up whatever mess the two were making. Roman was only slightly better. Their peaceful yet messy meal was interrupted by Summer's scroll going off.

Summer reached for her scroll and looked at who could be calling her at this early hour. She nearly growled when she saw the identity of the caller.

"This better be good, Ozpin," she grumbled as she got up from the table. "I'll be right back." With that, she exited into the living room.

The remaining four looked to the doorway into the living room and then to each other. Taiyang wore a face of concern, obviously knowing that a call from Ozpin meant something serious. Yang showed concern as well, but Ruby was more curious than anything else. _Still too young to know, huh, Red?_

"Red" was Roman's nickname for Ruby ever since he met her. Initially, she hated it (it was one of the few times she said anything around him during the first few months), but nowadays she didn't mind it as much. It still annoyed her to no end, but she had gotten used to it coming out of Roman's mouth. Even Yang would use it on occasion, but mostly if she and Ruby were having an argument.

Summer walked back into the kitchen after a few minutes had passed. "I have to go. Ozpin needs me for a mission."

"This early?" Taiyang asked.

"Yes, this early. He wouldn't say why, but he said it was urgent."

"Well, alright. Just…be safe, okay?"

"I will."

Ruby and Yang got off their chairs and ran to hug their mother, having seen her go off on assignments and waiting for her return numerous times already.

"Don't worry, you two. I'll be back. I promise."

The girls clearly didn't want her to leave again. She held them tight for a minute or two before letting them go and moving to kiss her husband goodbye. She then moved on to Roman. Ruffling his hair, currently devoid of his bowler hat, she said, "You take care of your sisters now, you hear?"

"I hear," Roman responded. "I may be sneaky, but I'm not deaf," he continued as he held up his hand to reveal Summer's keys. Summer took back her keys and ruffled his hair a second time in retaliation. He may not have stolen anything for several months, but he always liked to play pranks by taking something in the house and hiding it to drive its owner mad. He may not have wanted to return to the streets, but he liked to practice to make sure his skills were still sharp. Summer found it amusing most of the time, but it drove Tai and the girls crazy whenever he did it.

After gathering her gear and weapon, Summer headed out the front door. Before she closed it, she turned to face her family to give one last goodbye. She looked at all four of them as they gathered in the living room. Tai, her husband, whose first love had given him Yang before running off with no explanation; Yang, their sunny little dragon who could brighten up any room, yet could cause plenty of problems; Ruby, her little rose, someone whom Summer desperately wanted to turn away from the path of a Huntress; and Roman, a boy that she managed to bring out of a dark hole and had integrated into their family, someone who showed he could be trusted at this point. She smiled at them.

"Don't have too much fun while I'm gone, okay?"

With that, she walked out of her home and shut the door. She stared at the path that led into the woods around her home. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and began her journey. She still had to reach Beacon. There was something about this mission that didn't feel right. The way Ozpin spoke during their conversation…

Summer cast those thoughts aside as she made her way through the woods. She could worry about details when she got to Beacon. _And,_ she thought, _no matter what, I will make it home. Just like before._

* * *

Roman sat in silence in his room, shocked at the news he had just received.

 _This can't be real, can it?_

Summer had left for her missions weeks ago, and there had been no word from Ozpin on when she would return. You could tell everyone in the Xiao Long-Rose house was getting uneasy about her absence. Sure, Huntsmen and Huntresses could take a long time to complete their missions, but something didn't sit right with Roman.

They waited for weeks before word finally reached them. Qrow Branwen, someone whom Roman knew little of but trusted since he was apparently the uncle in the family (though how that connection was made Roman never knew), came to the house not even an hour earlier. When Tai let him in, his facial expression said it all.

Tai knew what had happened as soon as he saw the look on Qrow's face. Roman, Yang, and Ruby wouldn't find out until they had been called into the living room. At first, they were excited to see Qrow, since he wasn't around much. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, kids, but…" A sigh was let out before he continued. "Summer isn't coming back."

Roman caught onto the meaning quick. He had been on the streets long enough to know that meant Summer was dead. Yang realized what Qrow meant a second later, and tears started to roll down her face. Ruby was still trying to figure out what Qrow was saying.

"Yang, what does that mean?" Roman felt bad for his younger sister. She was still a bit too young to really grasp the meaning.

"Mom's not coming back because she's…she's…dead." That last word escaped Yang as a whisper.

It hit Ruby a few seconds later.

The next hour was spent with much crying and grief. Ruby was torn up with Qrow doing his best to comfort her; Yang was off in her room crying her own set of tears; and Tai had practically shut down. As for Roman, he had just disappeared into his room to figure out what was going to happen now.

This was just too difficult to believe, even if he knew that the meaning of Qrow's words was true. The person that had brought him into their family, had given him a better life, had died on her last mission. The one reason he joined this family was no longer there.

And at the worst time of all, a little voice reared its ugly head.

 _So. How did family life turn out for you?_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I don't normally do one of these because I'd rather get you straight to the story, but I just wanted to put a little heads-up here. Now, someone asked me if I was going to incorporate Neo into this story. Let's just say I answered one way, but ended up doing something else here, but it's very minor. This is also the second-to-last chapter of this story, so expect the finale to come next week. I'll go into more detail about this story at the end of the next one. But enough out of me, you're here for The Rose and the Candle, so here you go…**

The Rose and the Candle

Chapter 5: Crisis

Roman sat on the bed in his room, arms holding his legs close to his body. It had been several weeks since the news of Summer's death, but it was still fresh in everyone's minds. Qrow wasn't around that often anymore, but he still showed up every now and again to check on the family. He would always check on Tai first, and then the kids. Tai had almost shut down completely, and Qrow would always spend a good amount of time checking on him.

Yang and Ruby were both torn up about it. Ruby still didn't fully understand, but Yang had pretty good knowledge of what possibly happened. She may not have fully understood the nature of being a Huntress, but she knew one possible way that career could end.

The days after Summer's passing turned into weeks as everyone slowly began to ease back into their daily routines. Everyone, except maybe for Roman.

He may have contributed around the house, but the debates inside Roman's head had started again and were only getting worse. Such a debate raged as he sat on his bed.

 _The one reason you came into this family is gone! Why stick around?_

 _Because these people still care for me. And I, them._

 _Stop lying to yourself!_

 _I'm not lying!_

 _These people are broken now. They can't do anything for you, let alone themselves._

 _No matter what you say, I will never return to the streets._

 _If you wanted a home this badly, you should have accepted her offer when you had the chance._

Roman cringed when that memory came up. That woman was a professional criminal, more than Roman ever hoped to become. He would always hear about one of her escapades and how sadistic she could get when he was out on the streets. There's a reason Roman was alone out there in his past life.

Roman successfully managed to suppress the rogue voice in his head. He had gotten a lot of practice at it in the recent weeks.

Just then, Roman heard a crash from downstairs. He got off his bed and came down to the living room, where he found Yang staring at the floor. Roman followed her gaze. There was a picture frame whose glass had broken laying on the floor. Roman looked back to Yang about to ask what happened, but it didn't look like Yang was paying any attention to him at all. She just kept staring at that picture. She bent down and picked it up. Finally, Roman spoke.

"Yang. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…," she trailed off and continued to stare at the picture in her hands, as if she was studying it intently.

"This is it, it has to be…"

The expression on her face changed to one of determination. Roman knew that particular look all too well. It was the same expression he bore whenever he was about to steal something.

"You're about to do something stupid and dangerous, aren't you?"

Yang finally looked up from the picture and stared at Roman. After a few seconds, she sighed. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Roman climbed down the last few stairs and walked over, sitting down next to her.

Roman finally got a good look at the picture Yang was holding. All he could make out for sure was a barn of some kind, but the rest of the picture was too dirty and covered in dust to make out what the rest of it showed.

"I've got something to tell you. Something I only found out myself rather recently."

Roman was getting curious as to where this conversation was going.

"You know Dad practically shut down when Summer died."

Roman's eyes grew wide. Yang had never called Summer by her first name. He could've sworn she didn't even know what it was.

"Yes," he responded, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, I found out why he did. Summer wasn't the first person he's lost. The first was my mother. My _real_ mother."

It took Roman some time to process what Yang just said. _REAL mother? What is she talking about?_

Yang must have known what Roman was thinking. "I asked Uncle Qrow why Dad has shut down as much as he did. He wouldn't tell me at first, but then he said that it was because of what happened with my mother. He wouldn't tell me everything, just that she left right after I was born. I've been trying to ask more about her, but no one who does know is saying anything. I don't think anyone's heard from her since she vanished."

Yang's face bore a saddened expression as she finished. Her attention then went back to the picture in her hands, that look of determination returning.

"And I think this could lead me to her."

Roman just sat there in shock. It was quite a revelation to take in. Ruby and Yang were half-sisters. Yang's real mom abandoned her and Tai when Yang was only a baby. Summer stepped in and Ruby was the result of that union. _Just what kind of family did I get involved with?_

Finally, Roman found a response. "So you're planning to potentially risk yourself by going to a place you don't know to try and reconnect with someone who left you and your father and who might not even be at the place in question? Brilliant logic."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Yang responded.

"Look, Yang, it's good that you want to find your mother, but I don't think you're going to get anywhere. It's been years, and if she wanted to keep in touch, you would have heard from her by now. Take it from someone who's done reckless things in the past: You're going to put yourself at too much risk if you go out there on your own."

Yang stared back at the picture and set it on the table. Roman turned and made his way back upstairs. Before he reached the top, he turned to face Yang and said, "We've already lost one person. Don't make us lose another this soon."

He then turned back to continue his climb up the stairs. _I really hope she doesn't try it._

* * *

 _Gods, she actually did it!_

It was in the early morning hours of the day. Roman was running around the house looking for a sign of Yang's presence in the house, unsuccessfully.

 _She went and did it! She's going to that stupid barn to find someone who's probably not even there. Idiot._

He peeked into Ruby's room to see if she was still in the house. The room was empty, and Ruby was nowhere else in the house. _And she even took Ruby with her?!_

Roman left Ruby's room and continued searching the house. Tai had left the house an hour before, meaning Yang must have left not too long afterward.

 _She has no idea what she's doing! I need to stop her!_

Roman began looking for a way to get ahold of Tai or even Qrow. He tore apart the whole house looking for a scroll or some other form of communication, but found nothing. He left a mess household items scattered across the floor in practically every room. After a lengthy search, Roman gave up and sat on the couch in the living room, staring over the cluttered mess he had made in his frantic search. He lowered his head into his hands, paranoia overtaking him and playing scenario after scenario in his head of how Yang and Ruby could not make it back.

 _Just give up. You were always better off on your own._

 _Shut. Up! You are not helping! You've never helped! You just want to go back to a life that would have been the end of us!_

 _We never had to worry about anyone else! It was just us! We could have become something great on that path, like Neo!_

Roman scowled when that name was uttered.

 _Never. Bring. Her. Up. Again._

 _We could have become a successful thief like her. But you had to go and give up all because of a one-time mistake. You're pathetic. This is not the Roman that I knew out on the streets._

 _He's gone. He decided that jail was a bet he just couldn't take. Lying, stealing, and cheating would have gotten us nowhere. This way, we could survive! And that's all that matters: survival! Now…get. Out. Of. My. HEAD!_

Roman immediately reeled from the pounding pain now in his head. After what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided. His head now felt the clearest that it had ever been. Even so, he could feel another presence sneaking in. This felt more open, inviting, with a genuine desire to help. All other analysis was interrupted with the opening of the front door behind him.

There in the doorway stood Uncle Qrow, slowly taking in the mess Roman had made. The only reaction he gave was a heavy sigh.

"This better be good."

"Yang took Ruby to look for Yang's mom at some old barn and I've been trying to find a way to get ahold of you or Dad to try and stop them."

Qrow just gave Roman a weird look. "Tai really has you trained well, doesn't he? Now, what's this about Yang looking for her mom?"

"She found an old picture that showed a barn that she thought was a clue to finding her."

"Damn it! I knew telling her was a bad idea, yet I did it anyway! And she took Ruby with her, too!"

"What is that place, anyway?"

"That's not important right now! We need to get them back! That area is not safe! Stay here and wait for Tai!"

"Why? What's out there?"

Qrow paused for a second before answering. "Grimm."

With that, Qrow turned around and began to run back out of the house. Roman ran out of the house behind him. There was no sign of Qrow, only a small black bird flying off over the surrounding forest. With no other options open, Roman went back into the house and closed the door behind him.

Roman began to clean up the disaster zone he had created in his desperate and frantic panic. He had just finished when Tai came back home in the late morning. Roman explained what was going on to Tai and the two decided to wait in the living. Roman had taken a seat on the couch, while Tai sat in one of the chairs next to it. The two had sat in silence for a while before it was broken.

"I…have a question for you," Roman said.

Tai looked at the boy, signaling for him to continue.

"What does it take? To be a Huntsman?"

Tai looked a little taken aback by that question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, because of Summer. From what I knew of Huntsmen and Huntresses before, she seemed to be someone who emulated those qualities well. I've been thinking about what I'm going to do, and I don't know what all I can do. I figure it's a good way to honor her memory now. And, depending on what happens today, potentially Yang and Ruby. I just don't want to see this kind of thing happen again. To us or anyone."

Tai was surprised to be hearing this, but understood what Roman meant. "Well…I'm sure myself and Qrow could at least get you started. I will tell you the basics of what it means to be a Huntsman, though."

Roman looked to Tai, patiently listening to every word he said.

"Huntsmen and Huntresses are meant to be the best and brightest warriors of Remnant. Their sole purpose is to combat the creatures of Grimm. Those who show enough promise and tenacity get accepted into one of the four combat schools: Beacon in Vale; Haven in Mistral; Atlas in…well, Atlas; and Shade in Vacuo. Each academy has their own methods of teaching, but the end result is always the same: Huntsmen and Huntresses that can fight the Grimm and help their fellow man. All are expected to serve humanity and never succumb to the darkness. It's not an easy life, and it's not something to take part in lightly. If this is really what you want, then I'll do my best to help."

Roman nodded. His mind was very much made up about this. Whatever it took, he would try his best.

 _At least you won't be back on the streets._

This voice was much different than the last. It was the one that had entered his head before, but Roman didn't get a chance to really feel its presence too well.

 _You're right. And I can actually change things around for good this way._

 _It's whatever you decide. I can help as best I can, but this will be new ground for us._

 _We'll make this work._

Roman and Tai sat in silence for the rest of the time until Qrow finally returned home with both Yang and Ruby alive and intact. Ruby had been asleep in a wagon the whole journey. Qrow had gotten to them just as they were about to be attacked by a group of Beowolves. Fortunately, he managed to dispatch them quickly with his scythe.

Roman took Ruby upstairs while Yang was given a stern talking to by both Tai and Qrow for her antics. After they were done with her, Tai brought Roman down to have their own talk with Qrow. They sat around the table in the kitchen for this discussion.

"So, Tai tells me you want to become a Huntsman. You really think you can handle it?"

Roman looked to Qrow, feeling just a little insulted. "Yes. I do. I was out on the streets for a long time, so I have some knowledge of combat and survival. I just need to improve them."

Qrow stared at Roman for a good while before finally speaking. "I think we can get you started. The academies can pick up where we left off, but at least you'll have a starting point before you get there."

"But," Qrow added as he stood up from the table, "it's not going to be an easy path. I'm sure you've figured out already, but the risk is high. And not everyone is going to appreciate your presence. But you'll still have a chance to do some good."

Roman nodded to show his understanding. "I just have one question."

Qrow and Tai raised their eyebrows. "When do we start?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here it is: the final chapter of The Rose and the Candle. Sorry for the extremely late update, but life got in the way. Life and procrastination, but still. To be honest, at first, I didn't really have a good setting for this particular chapter, but fortunately that got fixed with the Yang character short prior to Volume 5. (If you haven't seen that short yet, go watch that first, as I did take a lot from it for this one). Now, fight scenes are not my specialty, so the quality of the fight might not be that great. Just a heads-up. Before I dump you guys off into the finale, I just want to say there are some things I want to mention at the end. I'll try not to make that note too long, but I'd appreciate it if you stuck around for that. Anyway, back to what you're actually here for…**

* * *

The Rose and the Candle

Chapter 6: Finale

It was a bright sunny day on the island of Patch. Three figures were gathered in a forest clearing. Two of them were in the middle of the clearing, in the process of hand-to-hand training. The third was leaning against a nearby tree enjoying the spectacle.

Long bangs of his bright orange hair covered his right eye; black eyeliner was traced along his left eye, the only one visible of his pair of slanted dark-greens. On top of this head was a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band. The rest of his apparel consisted of a red-lined white suit with long black pants and black shoes. His accessories consisted of a small gray scarf tied around his neck and black gloves with buckled sleeves covering his hands. Resting on his arm was a gray and red cane.

Roman Torchwick had come a long way since his days as a street rat in Vale. He had found a family that helped get him out of that hole. He had spent the last several years preparing to be a Huntsman, and he had made significant progress. His Aura had been unlocked very early on, but he was still getting used to using his Semblance in combat. To be fair, he didn't truly need it. He was a good enough fighter with just his instincts. His instincts, and his specially made weapon-cane that was currently hanging from his arm, Melodic Cudgel. Part-melee-capable cane, part destructive flare gun, and part grappling hook. Roman was rather proud of it.

His adopted sisters also followed the path of becoming Huntresses. Yang, who was about the same age as Roman, had developed a reputation with her aggressive fighting style utilizing a pair of gauntlets capable of shooting explosive rounds that she named Ember Celica. Her preferred apparel consists of a tan jacket that bares her lower stomach with golden brown piping and short, puffy sleeves with black cuffs featuring two golden buttons; a low-cut yellow crop top with her chosen emblem on the left breast in black underneath the jacket; a brown belt covered by a pleated brown piece of material reaching from hip to hip around the back of her waist, with her emblem displayed once again, this time emblazoned in gold on the right-most pleat; a longer, white, asymmetrical piece of material reaching to her right knee in addition to black mini-shorts underneath the brown material; brown knee-high boots and orange over-the-knee socks, the right sock pushed down just below the knee; a lavender bandana tied around her left knee; an orange infinity scarf around her neck; and black fingerless gloves with her gauntlets acting as bracelets when not in use. Roman liked to think he had a great sense of style, but Yang took it a bit too far. He felt it too promiscuous.

Ruby had proven herself to be quite the fighter as well, her skills and abilities far surpassing her peers, if the staff at Signal were to be believed. Her weapon, which she was a little too attached too, was a scythe, a dangerous and rarely used weapon requiring strength, balance, and adaptability, which Ruby had mastered extremely well. Qrow had certainly taught her well. The scythe was bad enough for her opponents as is, but she also built it to act as a high-caliber, high-impact sniper rifle. Yep, she was a gun nut through and through. It was a good thing her opponents had their Auras unlocked. She may seem cute and innocent, but she was still a dangerous opponent. At least, as long as she had her scythe within reach. Hand-to-hand was a major weakness of Ruby's, hence the ongoing training session. Ruby's chosen apparel consisted of a long-sleeved thick black blouse with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves; a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front; a black skirt with red trim; a pair of thick black stockings; black combat boots with red laces, red trim around the top and red soles; and a large silver brooch in the shape of her rose emblem she pinned to a wide black belt slung around her hips on an angle in addition to bullets and a pouch. The whole ensemble was topped by Ruby's other favorite possession: a red hooded cloak fastened to her shoulders by cross-shaped pins. Needless to say, Ruby was more conservative in her choice of apparel compared to Yang, with practically nothing revealing in her look.

The two sisters were currently attempting to improve Ruby's hand-to-hand skills while Roman stayed on the sidelines to spectate.

"Oof."

With Ruby on the ground. Again.

"Ow…" Ruby groaned from her position in the dirt.

"Come on. You totally could have dodged that," Yang told her younger sister as she helped her back to her feet.

"Yang," Ruby whined. "I've already told you. I'm just not cut out for hand-to-hand. Why can't I just use my beautiful Crescent Rose?" She moved in admiration of her death-machine, bringing her hands to her cheeks.

"That's exactly why we wouldn't let you bring it," Yang responded.

"You're too attached and rely too much on that oversized gardening tool," Roman added.

"Don't call it that!" Ruby yelled in anger.

"Exactly my point!"

Ruby just gave her signature groan of annoyance.

"Ruby, Roman and I are gonna be leaving for Beacon soon. We wanna make sure our little sis can hold her own while we're gone, even if someone could be doing more to help." That last bit was directed at Roman.

"Hey, spectating allows me to observe and provide helpful tips. But I can't actually do that if no progress is being made," Roman argued as he motioned for them to continue.

"Fine," Ruby said as Yang readied her stance once more.

Ruby barely had time to block as her sister threw a punch, which Ruby blocked with her wrist. Roman watched on with a small grin as the two Huntresses-in-training duked it out, Ruby awkwardly trying to block and dodge Yang's attacks. Ruby eventually retaliated after sidestepping Yang's third right jab. Ruby attempted to deliver a right hook from behind, but missed as Yang moved her head to dodge casually. Yang tripped Ruby with a leg sweep, putting the falling redhead at the mercy of her right hook. Ruby successfully managed to escape with her speed Semblance, speeding away into the trees and dispersing into rose petals. Roman put a hand on his hat to keep it from flying off his head as Ruby zoomed past him.

"Nice one, sis!" Yang called out. "You're not always going to be able to run away from your problems, though. Sometimes, you just have to stand your ground and fight, no matter what."

Yang and Roman waited in the clearing for a few more seconds for Ruby to return. "Alright, enough rest! Get back out here," Yang finally called out. There was no answer. "Ruby?"

"I'm going to go look for her," Roman said, removing his cane from his arm and gripping the handle as he lowered the tip to the ground. "Stay here."

"Be careful. There could be Grimm out there."

"There's always Grimm out in the middle of nowhere," Roman responded as he moved deeper into the forest.

Roman walked through the forest foliage for any sign of his youngest adopted sister. She couldn't have landed very far from the clearing even with her Semblance pushing her forward. Pushing aside the brush in his search, he failed to find much evidence of where Ruby disappeared to. Following the rose petals she left behind in the wake of her speed Semblance was out of the question; they tended to disappear quickly. It took a few minutes to finally find her.

Ruby had landed on her stomach with her head laying on its right side in the middle of a small break in the foliage. Roman couldn't help but give a small smile. Ruby had a knack for ending up in odd situations like this.

Roman made his way over to the unconscious girl and sat down cross-legged on the ground. With his cane, he began gently prodding her to try and wake Ruby up.

"Ruby? Ruby…" he called softly.

Slowly, Ruby started to regain consciousness.

"Ugh…ow…" she groaned as she began to sit up.

"Rise and shine, Red!" Roman said cheerfully.

"I…have too much of a headache to scold you for using that name again," was her only response.

"The thought of you scolding anyone for whatever reason is actually kind of entertaining. Especially since it won't come across as angry as you think it would," Roman said as he stood up, offering his hand to help Ruby up.

Ruby grabbed his hand and slowly stood up, headache and pain starting to subside.

"Thanks," she said.

Just then, they heard the sounds of gunfire, a distinctive sound that both knew the source of.

"Yang!" they both exclaimed as they began to run back to the clearing.

They came back just in time to see Yang get thrown into the forest by a big and fearsome-looking Ursa. She landed in the dirt at the edge of the clearing, but the force of the throw caused her to slide further into the forest, digging a trench and uprooting a few trees as she slid.

Roman pushed Ruby behind a tree, motioning for her to stay there and be quiet. Ruby nodded in acknowledgement. She was no good in a fight without her scythe.

Roman quickly and quietly moved behind a fallen log at the edge of the clearing as the Ursa looked to where it had thrown Yang. Gripping the curved hilt of his cane, he poked it out over the log. The bottom flipped open to reveal that it was a reticule, with an opening at the bottom of the cane where the destructive flares of Melodic Cudgel were fired. Roman carefully aimed the reticule, lining it up with the Ursa's torso. He then launched a fiery and destructive round at the Ursa. The sound of Roman's flare gun firing alerted the Ursa to his presence, but not fast enough to avoid getting hit by the explosive. Popping out from his cover, Roman continued firing at the Grimm, unleashing round after round at the beast. The blasts were succeeding in staggering the Ursa, but they weren't causing significant damage to it.

 _Come on, Yang, get up!_

Finally, Yang came back into the clearing. She kept looking between Roman and the Ursa, looking for a way back into the action. She got an idea when she saw the Ursa was unable to move forward thanks to Roman's ceaseless bombardment. Getting into her combat stance, she began launching her own explosive rounds.

The Ursa was beyond infuriated with being bombarded by two people. It put its arms up to its head to try to shield itself from the attacks. Yang realized it was waiting to charge at the two of them once they stopped.

"Roman, stop firing!" Yang yelled.

"Why?" Roman called back.

"I've got an idea!"

"Alright…" Roman responded with uncertainty.

Roman halted his fiery bombardment against the Ursa, running into the forest and disappearing into the brush. Yang continued to fire rounds from her gauntlets to draw the Ursa's attention. It worked, as the Ursa immediately began charging at Yang.

Yang dodged a swipe from the Ursa's paw, jumping around the Ursa as she delivered powerful, gauntlet-assisted punches to the creature. The Ursa caught Yang in the air and sent her flying through the air, her Aura flaring from the impact. Yang fired her gauntlets while airborne, launching herself forward to begin another relentless assault. However, the Ursa was learning. It managed to flank around Yang and catch her in its mouth as she flew toward where the creature once stood. Yang's Aura started to flicker, threatening to dissipate entirely. Ruby and Roman looked on in fear as the Ursa flung Yang aside like a ragdoll.

Suddenly, Yang's eyes flung open, a deep red instead of their usual lilac.

"She activated her Semblance. She'll win this," Roman commented quietly, resting his hand on Ruby's shoulder to reassure his younger sister.

Landing on a tree trunk, Yang once more launched herself forward at the Ursa, screaming as the distance between the two closed. The Ursa tried to swipe at Yang, but its palm met her fist. The resulting shockwave of power sent Roman and Ruby back a couple of feet, deeper into the brush. The Ursa roared in pain as the force of Yang's punch broke the bones in the Grimm's arm. Yang and the Ursa were sent flying from the pure force of the stalemate. The Ursa dissolved as it hit the ground. Yang bounced a few times before finally hitting the side of a tree, landing in a sitting position, fatigued from the fight.

"Yang!" Ruby called out as she and Roman ran over to check on their sister. "Yang, are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Yang said as she looked up at the two of them. "Looks like you were right Roman, there _are_ always Grimm out in the middle of nowhere."

"Right. So, what was your idea, exactly?" came Roman's response. "Distract the Ursa long enough for you to get roughed up and use your Semblance?"

"Basically? Yes."

"Wow. You really do enjoy risking your life, don't you?"

"Just shut up and help me."

The three of them walked back to their house, where Taiyang waited for them, watering the sunflowers by the front door.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked as he noticed their approach.

"We got ambushed by an Ursa," Roman responded nonchalantly. "Don't worry, Yang killed it."

Tai did look worried at first, but he simply sighed and said, "Next time, make sure _all_ of you have your weapons."

With that, the four of them entered the house and readied for a lazy rest of the day.

However, hidden in the tree line, was a figure who had watched the whole fight from the shadows.

"Hm. Interesting," he said in a whispering voice. "This is one to keep an eye on." Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows, moving on to observe others as their paths with the Rose-Xiao Long-Torchwick household came closer to intersecting.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's it! The Rose and the Candle is officially done! I wasn't planning on making this an overly long story, especially since this was based on some artwork I was introduced to via RWBY Nation on Facebook. Regrettably, I was not able to find that artwork recently. It was actually two bits that are part of the same arc and they were only incorporated into the first chapter. But, anyway, I feel satisfied with what I managed to put out. I did rely pretty heavily on the RWBY Wiki for this, especially with descriptions, as my thinking was if I was going to do this, I needed to get details as correct as possible. I basically just wanted certain things to match what has been established in the show. Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you for reading this story and for all the reviews that it's gotten (I really enjoyed reading them), and don't worry, I will be putting more stories up. I already have a few ideas in the works. With that said, I don't plan on doing a follow-up for The Rose and the Candle. I'd rather not have my creative energies devoted to one specific story when I have other ideas that they can be devoted to. So, unless I get bombarded with requests to continue this story in a separate sequel story, then this is officially the end. As for what's coming up in the future: There are two rather big and ambitious ideas that have been festering in my mind for a lot longer than this one, and that are going require quite the amount of research for what I have planned. And yes, they are both RWBY-related. However, those are still a good amount of time away, as I have another idea that I want to try and work on and have up here before I get to those. You can expect update times to be longer than they were with this one. And since I know I'm going to be asked about it, yes the random figure I threw in at the end will be making more appearances, but they won't be that many. He was actually a last-minute addition (sort of) that I thought I'd throw in as an interesting little bit. There is a reason for him being there and what he said at the end. It isn't completely random. Other than that, there's not much to say besides stay tuned! My next story may not be up for a good long while (there is a second opinion of sorts I need to reference with), but it will be coming in the future. Fröhliches Lesen!**


End file.
